VERSION 22-08
This update contains only changes to Oedo Castle Zone, without any new maps. However, changes are substantial.
My focus on this update was correcting some of the issues people had with version 21-11, many of which involve legibility issues but also some course length problems. Additionally, the map scaling has been adjusted (both track size extensions but also map scale changed) and some problematic shortcuts have either been changed or removed.
OEDO CASTLE ZONE
Course Length Change Estimation: Roughly 20-30 Seconds Shorter!
## Change Log
- Map Size Increase (exactly 5% larger, should make road sizes roughly consistent with standard maps)
- Added "Rumble Strips" to the edge of roads, or alternatively lighter road edge indicators. Should help with turn legibility. It also further increases the drivable space in some circumstances, giving players even more room.
- Adjusted lighting values. This should also help with track visibility.
- Added subtle banking to some turns and improved banking implementation on existing banks. This should help prevent unintentional liftoff and also help with turn legibility.
- Modified layout in first "water room" of the castle. Geometry revamped to make track-flow feel more fluid. Modified jump at the end to be yellow spring which should work better with server trick mods. Rough terrain replaced with interior rail. Exterior part of turn now also partially railed. Stair-step track design has been completely removed.
- Garden section now has more (tons of) item pickups within the inner roundabout, giving more reward to users who go out of their way to race a tougher optional line. Other items in the garden section have been removed as a result to prevent item spam.
- Garden section roads have been made wider and in some cases the geometry has been cleaned up. Might also ease any performance problems as zone count has been better optimized.
- Garden section "boost" ramp has been modified to make the path more intuitive. The "bump" like design has been removed in favor of a more easily legible subtle turn w/ boosts cutting out from the sides.
- Second half (late garden and crusher room) of the map has been completely reworked. This section is now straight with a fork while also leaning more on the crusher gimmick. Boosts are now provided along the way to serve as risk-reward elements to make players take more risks on what could otherwise be a safe line. Overall, the fat has been trimmed from this part of the map and overall feels more eventful.
- Change "boost" on jump in the waterfall room to be a zoom platform instead. This should make that jump nearly impossible to miss while retaining the jump's feel.
- Fix shortcut immediately straight from starting line. Should now be long enough that powering through using perfect boost should be slower while preserving ability to boost through. As a result, the room itself is now less square and longer, making the first few turns a little harder to make with a single drift (but not impossible.)
- Remove shortcut in garden section due to more items being placed immediately before.
- And more that I probably forgot!
